Thomas Luker History from Ocean County

Thomas Luker History from Ocean County

From Ocean County: Four Centuries in the Making, 2000 by Pauline S. Miller, pp.95-98:

Thomas Luker, an Englishman who sailed to America aboard the ship the Falcon in 1685 with his two brothers, William and Mark, came alone to the shores of Goose Creek...Luker settled inland at the bend of Goose Creek and built a ferry to enable wagons and livestock to cross the river. In 1712, when Monmouth County built its first road from Tinto Falls in northern Monmouth County to Cedar Creek, Goose Creek was referred to as Toms River, formerly Goose Creek.

Settlers clustered near Tom Luker's ferry, a barge which he poled across the river. Tom married the Indian chieftain's daughter, Princess Ann, and lived in a wigwam on the hill north of the ferry on land the Indians had given them. Tom took on the culture of the Indians, including wearing buckskin clothes. He came known as Indian Tom. The land they lived on was a triangular tract of land that began at the (present) bridge. The starting point was called Lukers White Oak. The line ran north to the present Washington Street, then turned southwest to a point called Lukers Black Oak, then turned southeast back to the point and place of beginning.

Their son Daniel, who married Hester Van in Old Christ Church in Philadelphia on October 24, 1726, obtained title to the land from the Proprietors since Indian deeds held no value once the English Proprietary Board had been established. Daniel continued to operate the ferry for his father. The barge was the sole means of transportation across the river except for horseman who may have crossed to the other shore on horseback.

Tom Luker began an epic poem in which he orally recorded his arrival and life among the Indians on the bend of the river. Over the next century the poem was expanded by succeeding generations of his family. Tom Luker gave credit in the poem to the Indians for naming the river after him.